Adjustable loom for hand weaving

ABSTRACT

An adjustable loom for hand weaving comprising upper and lower rails with elongated slots therein and left hand and right hand rails with tongues at their ends that are adjustably receivable in the elongated slots of the upper and lower rails or are receivable in mortised ends of the upper and lower rails. The left and right hand rails also have elongated slots adapted to adjustably receive an intermediate rail. Each of the rails has a row of openings, the openings being equally spaced from each other at the same distance for all of the rails. Headed pins are removably received in the desired openings. The pins that are received in the intermediate rail are longer than those mounted in the other rails so that the tops of all of the pins will lie in the same plane. Corner posts secure the rails together in their adjusted positions. In this manner the weaving loom may be readily adjusted for weaving articles of different sizes. Also, the loom rails may be disassembled and stored in a small space when the loom is not used.

Daoust 1 Apr.2, 1974 ADJUSTABLE LOOM FOR HAND WEAVING [76] Inventor: Gilles P. Daoust, 17 Tanager Ave.,

No. 602, San Leandro, Calif. 94578 [22] Filed: Jan. 22, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 326,257

Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William R. Piper [57] ABSTRACT An adjustable loom for hand weaving comprising upper and lower rails with elongated slots therein and left hand and right hand rails with tongues at their ends that are adjustably receivable in the elongated slots of the upper and lower rails or are receivable in mortised ends of the upper and lower rails. The left and right hand rails also have elongated slots adapted to adjustably receive an intermediate rail. Each of the rails has a row of openings, the openings being equally spaced from each other at the same distance for all of the rails. Headed pins are removably received in the desired openings. The pins that are received in the intermediate rail are longer than those mounted in the other rails so that the tops of all of the pins will lie in the same plane. Corner posts secure the rails together in their adjusted positions. In this manner the weaving loom may be readily adjusted for weaving articles of different sizes. Also, the loom rails may be disassembled and stored in a small space when the loom is not used.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Adjustable looms are desirable so as to permit an operator to decide not only on the size of the article to be woven but also its shape up to the limits of the full size of the loom. The loom is formed from a plurality of rails that can be interconnected quickly to form a loom of the desired size and after use the rails may be disconnected from each other and arranged in'parallel relation so as to require a minimum of storage space. The row of openings in each rail is provided for receiving pins that in turn hold the warp and woof threads or yarn in proper position. These same openings can also receive corner posts for interconnecting the rails in a desired manner for forming a loom having a working area of a desired size.

2. Description of the Prior Art The U. S. Pat. to Daniel A. Berger, et al., No. 2,663,066, issued Dec. 22, 1953, discloses an adjustable loom for hand weaving. However, the loom comprises a rectangular frame in which the four sides are .m ade from a single metal stamping. This means that the rectangular frame cannot be altered in size. In the present invention, the four rails that form the outer limits of the loom can be connected together to form a work area that is smaller in size than the work area of the loom when used at its largest size.

Furthermore, the patent shows two cross pieces that have a length equal to the length of one of the sides of the fixed frame and these cross pieces are placed in the fixed frame so as to extend thereacross and to intersect each other at right angles so as to form four juxtaposed rectangular areas of smaller sizes. Any one of these smaller areas may be used as a work area for weaving purposes. The four sides of the fixed frame and the two cross pieces are provided with fixed teeth around which the thread or yarn may be passed in making a hand woven article. In the present invention not only can the four rails that form the outer limits of the loom be rearranged and interconnected to form a work area having lesser size, but an intermediate rail can be used and connected to two of the outer rails to divide this lesser size area into two juxstaposed areas either one of which may be used as a work area for making a hand woven article. Other points of difference between the patent and the present invention will appear as the description of the invention progresses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive and adjustable loom in which the various parts comprise rails that can be interconnected to form loom-weaving areas of different sizes thus enabling the operator to decide on an area that suits him. Each rail has a row of openings and any one of these may be used for receiving corner posts for securing the rails together to form a work area of a size that suits the operator. Then the other rail openings surrounding the chosen work area can have pins removably mounted therein that constitute a border around the work area and these pins hold the warp and woof thread or yarn in proper position when making the woven article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric view of my invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and illustrates one of the corner posts that interconnects two of the rails.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and illustrates one of the longer length pins removably mounted in an opening provided in the rails having elongated slots that extend substantially throughout the length of the rails.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrates one of the shorter length pins removably mounted in an opening provided in the intermediate rail that is of less thickness than the rails that have the elongated slots.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The manner 'of hand-weaving an article on my ad justable loom forms no part of my present invention and therefore it will not be described in detail. The present invention resides in the construction of the adjustable loom which permits it to be quickly adjusted to form a work area of a desired size and shape that is less than the greatest area the loom is capable of when fully expanded. The claims will be directed to the loom structure.

In carrying out my invention I provide an adjustable loom that is formed from a plurality of rails interconnected in a novel manner. The loom frame comprises an upper rail A, a lower rail B, a left hand side rail C, and a right hand side rail D, see FIG. 1. The upper and lower rails A and B are identical to each other and likewise the left and right hand side rails C and D are identical to each other.

The upper rail A has a plurality of openings 1 arranged in a single row and being spaced apart by equal distances. In addition, the rail A has an elongated slot 2 and it has two mortised ends 3 and 4, see FIG. 1. In like manner the lower rail B has a row of openings 5, spaced the same distance apart as are the openings 1 in the rail A. Also, the rail B has an elongated slot 6 of the same length as the slot 2 in the rail A and it has mortised ends 7 and 8 that are similar to the mortised ends 3 and 4 in the rail A.

The left hand side rail C is provided with a row of openings 9 that are spaced the same distance apart as are the openings 1 in the rail A and the openings 5 in the rail B. The rail C also has an elongated slot 10 therein and the ends of the rail are provided with tennons l1 and 12 that can be removably received in the mortised ends 3 and 7 of the rails A and B, respectively, or they can be adjustably received in the elongated slots 2 and 6 in the same rails A and B, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1.

In like manner the right hand side rail D has a row of openings 13 that are spaced the same distance apart as are the openings in the other rails A, B and C, see FIG. I. An elongated slot 14 is provided in the rail D and this slot is similar to the elongated slot 10 in the rail C. The ends of the rail D have tennons 15 and 16 that can be removably received in the mortised ends 4 and 8 of the rails A and B, respectively, or they can be adjustably received in the elongated slots 2 and 6 in the same rails A and B, respectively.

The elongated slots and 14 in the side rails C and D, respectively, are for the purpose of removably and adjustably receiving an intermediate rail E, see FIG. 1, that parallels the rails A and B. The rail E is provided with a row of openings 17 and these openings are spaced the same distance apart from each other as are the openings in the other rows 1, 5, 9 and 13. The intermediate rail E is not used when the operator wishes to use the loom at full size. The two side rails C and D will be connected to the mortised ends of the rails A and B when the loom is at its greatest size. TI-Ie tennons l1 and 12 of the side rail C would be inserted in the mortised ends 3 and 7 of the rails A and B, respectively, and the tennons and 16 of the side rail D would be inserted in the mortised ends 4 and 8 of the same rails A and B, respectively. Each tennon ll, 12, 15 and 16 of the side rail D would be inserted in the mortised ends 4 and 8 of the same rails A and B, respectively. Each tennon l1, l2, l5 and 16 has an opening therein which registers with the end openings la, la in the rail A and the end openings 5a, 5a in the rail B. A corner post F, of the type shown in FIG. 2, is inserted through the aligned openings in the mortise and tennons for connecting the side rails C and D to the rails A and B.

FIG. 1 does not illustrate the loom at its greatest enlargement. This Figure does show the arrangement of the various rails A to E inclusive when the operator wishes to use a smaller area of the loom in which to do the hand weaving. FIG. 1 shows the side rails C and D with their tennons l1 and 15, adjustably received in the slot 2 in the rail A and shows the tennons l2 and 16 of the same side rails C and D adjustably received in the slot 6 in the rail B. The openings in the tennons 11, 12, 15 and 16, will be aligned with the desired openings 1 in the rail A and the openings 5 in the rail B, and then corner posts F will be inserted through the aligned openings for interconnecting the rails A, B, C and D, together.

Before describing how the intermediate rail E is secured in adjusted position to the side rails C and D, it is best to describe the structure of one of the corner posts F. In FIGS. 1 and 2, I show the corner post F inserted through the aligned openings 1 in the rail A and an opening 18 in the tennon 11 of the side rail C. This corner post comprises a cylindrical pin 19 having a diameter of substantially the same size as the diameters of the aligned openings 1 in the rail A, see FIG. 2, and the opening 18 in the tennon ll of the side rail C. The pin 19 has a head 20 that has an axially aligned bore 20a therein. If desired, the head 20 of the pin 19 may be received in a recess formed in the upper surface of the rail A so that the top of the head 20 will lie flush with the upper surface of the rail. The lower end of the pin 19 has an axially aligned threaded bore 19a that is adapted to removably receive the threaded shank of a cap screw 21. The head of the cap screw may have a kerf 21a therein and, if desired, the head may be counter-sunk in a recess provided in the undersurface of the rail A, so that the outer surface of the cap screw head will lie flush with the undersurface of the rail A. A slight space is provided between the lower end of the pin 19 and the head of the cap screw 21 so that thecap screw can be screwed down into clamping arrangement with the rail A. Four of the corner posts F are provided for connecting the side rails C and D, in adjusted position with respect to the rails A and B.

Let us assume that the operator wishes to use only a portion of the area bounded by the rails A, B, C and D, as shown in FIG. 1. He then makes use of the intermediate rail E and inserts this rail through the slots 10 and 14 of the side rails C and D, respectively. The intermediate rail E parallels the rails A and B, and it may be placed any desired distance between these rails. When this position is reached, the operator inserts two additional comer posts F in the openings 9 and 13 of the side rails C and D, respectively, that align with the openings 17 in the rail E.

The operator is now in a position to surround the chosen work area with a plurality of string or yarnholding pins, see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. Two types of pins are used, one type for use in the rails B, C and D, that have elongated slots 6, l0 and 17, respectively, therein, and the other type used on the intermediate rail E. The purpose for these two types of pins is to have the heads of both pin types lie in the same horizontal plane.

I will first describe the type of pin G used on the rails B, C and D, that have the elongated slots 6, 10 and 14, respectively, therein, see FIGS. 1 and 3. The pin G is in two sections. The lower section, shown in detail in FIG. 3, is identical in structure to the corner post F, shown in FIG. 2. I will therefore label this lower portion F and will prime the various parts that are identical to similar parts in the corner post F of FIG. 2. The pin G includes the lower or base section F, and an upper thread or yarn-holding section 22 that is cylindrical in shape and has a threaded shank 23 at its lower end and having the same diameter as the diameter of the threaded axial bore 20a provided in the top of the cylindrical portion 19 of the lower pin section F. The thread or yarn-holding section 22 is topped by an integral head 24 that may be flat, as shown in FIG. 3, or it may be spherical in shape, not shown. The upper section or portion 22 of the pin G is secured to the lower or base portion F by screwing the threaded shank 23 into the threaded bore 20a disposed at the top of the member 19'. FIG. 1 shows the portion of the lower rail B, that lies between the side rails C and D provided with the pins G. These pins are mounted in the openings 5 in the rail B. Also the portions of the side rails C and D that extend from the rail B to the intermediate rail E, are provided with the pins G, these pins being mounted in openings 9 in the side rail C, and in openings 13 in the side rail D. The chosen work area is now enclosed on three sides by a plurality of the pins G.

The other type of thread or yarn-holding pin is shown at H, in FIGS. 1 and 4. These pins are mounted on the intermediate rail E and are shown in detail in FIG. 4. A headed sleeve 25 forms a part of the base portion for the pin H and the sleeve is receivable in an opening 17 provided in the intermediate rail E. The sleeve 25 has a head 26 and the interior of the sleeve is threaded throughout its length, as indicated at 27. The length of the sleeve 25 is less than the thickness of the intermediate rail E. A cap screw 21 similar to the cap screw 21' shown in FIG. 3 and the cap screw 21, shown in FIG. 2, has a threaded shank removably receivable in the lower end of the threaded bore 27 in the sleeve 25. The cap screw 21' has a kerf 21a by means of which a screw driver can be used for removably connecting the cap screw to the sleeve 25.

The upper part 28 of the pin H is cylindrical and it has a head 29 at its upper end and a threaded shank 30 at its lower end designed to be received in the threaded bore 27 in the headed sleeve 25, see FIG. 4. The upper part 28 of the pin H is similar to the upper part 22 of the pin G, except that the part 28 is longer. The purpose of this is to have the heads 29 of the pins H disposed at the same level as the heads 24 of the pins G. The heads 29 may be spherical in shape, not shown, if desired. FIG. 1 shows the portion of the intermediate rail E that lies between the side rails C and D, provided with a row of pins l-l. This completes the arrangement of the pins G and H, on all four sides of the work selected area.

I have indicated in dash lines 31 one example of how the thread or yarn can be passed around the various pins G and H, in FIG. 1, to form a woven article of a desired type. Since the weaving of the thread or'yam 31 about the pins forms no part of my present invention, further description need not be given.

After the loom has been used it may be readily disassembled for storage in a small space because the rails A to E inclusive, when disconnected from each other, can be arranged parallel to each other. One of the novel features of the invention lies in the interchanging of parts forming the corner posts F, and the base portions F for the pins G. The loom is of simple construction and is very durable. The openings in the tennons are spaced the same distance from the adjacent opening in the side rails C and D,-as is the spacing between adjacent openings in the same rail. The pins G have the length of their upper portions 22, see FIG. 3, of one inch or longer because the pins are designed to receive a plurality of layers of strands, such as thread or yarn. The other pins H will have the lengths 28 of their upper portion sufficient so that the heads 29 of these pins will lie in the same horizontal plane as the heads 24 of the pins 0.

I claim:

1. An adjustable loom for hand weaving, comprising:

a. a first pair of upper and a lower rails each rail being rectangular in cross section and the rails being spaced apart and parallely arranged, each rail having a row of openings therein and an elongated slot, said openings extending entirely through said rails from the upper to the lower surfaces thereof and the slots extending entirely through the widths of the rails from side to side of the rails, certain of the openings being intersected by the slots;

b. a second pair of side rails, each side rail having a tennon at each end slidably received in the slots in said upper and lower rails, the side rails extending at right angles to said upper and lower rails, each tennon having an opening therein adapted to register with selected openings in said upper and lower rails so as to dispose the side rails a desired distance apart from each other, each side rail having a row of openings therein;

0. comer posts extending through the openings in said tennons that are aligned with the openings in the upper and lower rails; and

d. pins mounted in the openings in the first and second pairs of rails that border the area enclosed by these rails.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. said second pair of side rails, each having an elongated slot, the slots lying in the same plane as the slots in said first pair of rails;

b. an intermediate rail having its ends adjustably received in the slots in said second pair of rails, said intermediate rail having a row of openings therein, certain of these openings being adapted to register with selected openings in said second pair of rails;

0. corner posts extending through the registering openings of the intermediate rail with the second pair of rails; and

d. pins mounted in the openings in the intermediate rail that lie between said second pair of side rails, the tops of said last-mentioned pins lying in the same plane as the tops of the other pins.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. said first pair of rails having mortised ends with holes therein;

b. the tennons of said second pair of side rails being receivable in said mortised ends and said corner posts extending through the registering openings in the tennons and mortises. 

1. An adjustable loom for hand weaving, comprising: a. a first pair of upper and a lower rails each rail being rectangular in cross section and the rails being spaced apart and parallely arranged, each rail having a row of openings therein and an elongated slot, said openings extending entirely through said rails from the upper to the lower surfaces thereof and the slots extending entirely through the widths of the rails from side to side of the rails, certain of the openings being intersected by the slots; b. a second pair of side rails, each side rail having a tennon at each end slidably received in the slots in said upper and lower rails, the side rails extending at right angles to said upper and lower rails, each tennon having an opening therein adapted to register with selected openings in said upper and lower rails so as to dispose the side rails a desired distance apart from each other, each side rail having a row of openings therein; c. corner posts extending through the openings in said tennons that are aligned with the openings in the upper and lower rails; and d. pins mounted in the openings in the first and second pairs of rails that border the area enclosed by these rails.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. said second pair of side rails, each having an elongated slot, the slots lying in the same plane as the slots in said first pair of rails; b. an intermediate rail having its ends adjustably received in the slots in said second pair of rails, said intermediate rail having a row of openings therein, certain of these openings being adapted to register with selected openings in said second pair of rails; c. corner posts extending through the registering openings of the intermediate rail with the second pair of rails; and d. pins mounted in the openings in the intermediate rail that lie between said second pair of side rails, the tops of said last-mentioned pins lying in the same plane as the tops of the other pins.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 1: and in which a. said first pair of rails having mortised ends with holes therein; b. the tennons of said second pair of side rails being receivable in said mortised ends and said corner posts extending through the registering openings in the tennons and mortises. 